Deluding Ella
by fishcaked
Summary: Extended prequel to "Capturing Ella" - Ella Benedict has had issues when growing up, struggling through depression and anxiety and the expectations batted against her. However, when a new girl turns up at her school at the beginning of the September, Ella's life and that of her families suddenly kicks off for the next few years, but how will Ella and her brothers cope?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Some people may think I am weird, and granted to them I am indeed weird but in the way they wouldn't expect me to be weird. Some people even say they don't get me, but I protest. I never wanted people to "get me", for I am not a puzzle piece or an award to be won, to be placed on the bookshelf with their rusting baseball trophies from years previous. It's what annoyed me about people in general; they never understand that those who differ from the norm are still human with the same genetic branches. I think that's an important thing to remember; everyone is still human. High School is an interesting place to observe this because people don't get that. Last year, I remember sitting around one of the tables with my friends one lunch time but I wasn't with it. My mind was running away with itself and I caught myself looking around, headphone in one ear but a lack of music playing, a pad of paper in front of me but my writing pen remained stationary in my slack hand as I observed the school in it's natural order. You had the jocks, the ones who liked sports who walk around in ridiculous muscle vests, even though most don't have muscles (or know how to use deodorant either,) and them tied with the popular think they rule the school. Also, the bad boys who every has a fear about – apart from me. I'll come back to that in a minute. But everyone else kind of agreed to this hierarchy. Think about it, in your school you know the hierarchy and where you stand but who define these categories within school. Aren't we all just individuals with our own stories and perspectives, talents and hobbies? Don't we all deserve an equal chance? Of course we don't, because society deems some sweaty teenagers over everyone else but no member of authority seems to argue with that either.

At school, I am one of the "weird ones". Why? Because I prefer to be by myself. I could easily be in with the popular group but it was more of a family name than my "perky" personality. I was a Benedict, and they were known throughout the whole town as the bad family in town. I never saw my family in that way but the whole bloody town did. They ignored the good things we did, and highlighted the slightly bad things we did. Like when Zed went for a motorcycle ride at midnight with a chick, that became massive news the next day at school. However, the chick was me and I was getting him out of the house to clear his mind because he was forced to watch a murder of a child. There is two sides, sometimes even more, behind every action. I ask of you to think of actions from now on in as this; you are one side of the table, and everyone else is on the other. You get a penny –whatever penny you like, it's currency has no value to this lesson – and you stand it on it's side. You see one side, the side that is known to you and they see their own side. Hardly ever do you get to see what the other person see's, and the audience cannot see your perspective because you keep it hidden. If you put it like that – then where does it leave certain emotions and perspectives?

I keep to myself because I have a tremendous secret, and I don't trust myself to spill it. My peers think of me like this. I am a Benedict, I am the only girl with seven brothers. My youngest brother is sixteen, my oldest brother is twenty six. I have a twin brother, Yves, and we are inseparable. People say I act masculine because I hang around with my brothers so much. I was in a car crash when I was four on the way to the zoo to celebrate my birthday. Yves was meant to come but was ill, but I went anyway. The car crash pushed me back a year, so I'm seventeen in Junior year with all sixteen year olds. I was in the same year as Zed, my youngest brother, and that elected to keep me in like. That's how everyone sees their side of the copper coin.

The startling truth is worse. I am not a Benedict. Genetically, the only link I have with them are the fact they are my cousins. I was born in England, the youngest in my family. I had four brothers and two sisters. I was normal. When travelling over to Colorado to celebrate the New Year with the Benedict's there was an awful car crash, and it killed off both of my parents, three brothers and two sisters. Only me and the brother up from me – against all odds – survived the crash. I was in a terrible state and they thought I would die, and even if I did somehow make it I would be a vegetable. Somehow, I pulled through. The crash was deemed as murder with intent to kill all, so for my sake, and the brother who survived with me – Michael – we had to be relocated. For Michael, that meant a small move down south, about thirty miles away with my Aunt and Uncle. For me, that meant moving over to America. Saul and Karla adopted me, let me move to America and stay with them and become part of their family. I have never been so thankful for them doing that and I will always let them know. I was so mentally traumatised, with recurring night terrors and childhood anxiety and PTSD that I had to wait to go to school. Vick, who was just a young teen, at the time had the great idea of changing everyone's thoughts in the town to think I am Yves' twin sister. At the time, we looked similar. We had dark blonde hair, the same green-blue eyes. We both even had freckles. Adults who knew the Benedict's from when Trace, the eldest, was born believed that I was Yves' twin. But when I went to start Kindergarten with Yves, I had a massive relapse and was told to stay of school for another year so I went to Kindergarten with Zed. Of course, he was four. I was seven. I had a kid appearance to me so no one questioned it too much. But of course as we aged, I had to pretend to be someone I'm not. I had to hide this massive secret and pretend to be someone's twin, laugh along to twin jokes. Yves and I had started doing things in sync from a young age and we had an unbreakable sibling relationship but it still made me feel, well, weird. So now I'm nineteen, and heading back into school as a Junior where everyone else was sixteen, and everyone who was sixteen turning seventeen thought I was seventeen turning eighteen when in fact I as nineteen turning twenty. It's tricky to understand. So when I wanted to be away from socialisation because I felt bad for leading people on with deception and lies people thought I was weird and anti-social but I didn't want to hurt anyone. I knew that friendships I made in school wouldn't last forever because I am a lot older than they thought. So that's why people think I'm weird. But you see where I'm coming from. I'm still a normal human with a back story but people still view me as weird.

There are also so many times you can be called weird without it getting to you. I normally have the same rules as baseball; three times and you're out. Or rather, in class, if I get called weird three times I walk out.

I cracked one of my eyes open to look at the florescent writing of the alarm clock beside my bed; 3:28am. I groaned out loud, rubbing my eyes slightly. Despite having insomnia for over five years now, being officially diagnosed with insomnia when I was eleven (which is over five years – but it's half three, maths can be so far up my ass I won't notice it tiggling my stomach lining at this time.) I still hope one morning I would take up and had slept through the night. But I went to bed at two like I normally do and sure enough, woke up at 3:28 as per normal. I felt something wet carress my face and I angrily squinted, looking over to see my dog lying on the pillow beside me.

'Hey fluffy,' I mumbled, fussing my Border collie's neck and she licked my face, standing up wagging her tail but ended up wagging her body as well. I hugged her slightly, my arm wrapped around her neck as she came forward to me to lick my face. 'Gross, stop that you silly woof.' I said to her as she jumped down and ran over to the door, her tail still wagging.

'You want to go for a run, don't you?'

At this point Cotton started to growl at the door, scratching the door with one her paws.

'Shh, Cotton, don't wake Zed up. He's crabby enough as he is,' I muttered, getting out of bed taking off my pyjama shirt straight away and putting on my sports bra. Whilst I relatively hated sports clothes I just had to accept the fact that I did have big enough boobs to wear a sports bra as they do noticeably have a function. Cotton continued to watch me as I took off my fleece bottoms, changing into some more comfortable girl boxers and then Lycra shorts on top. Hesitating, I grabbed my Karrimor running shirt and threw it over the top so I wouldn't freeze to death.

My phone lit up on my bedside cabinet and I paused, grabbing it as I opened the door. Cotton ran ahead of me and down the first flight of stairs. Unlocking my phone, I saw I had three messages from Michael.

'How old are you? I can't remember.' Was the first message I had and I rolled my eyes. So called brother doing good things. 'How old am I? Is age just an illusion? Who defined how many days is in a year? Who decided leap years are a thing?!' Followed by 'Text me when you're up,'

'Er, finished having an existential crisis about the illusion of time yet?' I text back.

'I turned into you for a second then,' He replied back.

'Rude!'

'Yet truthful – which is the predominant human trait person look for, obtain but actively avoid,'

'Dude, go to bed. You're talking crap.' I text my brother, mentally adding seven hours onto the current time. Michael still lived in England after the crash but out of both of us; he was the one better off. I was in a coma for four months, and had broken bones galor. Smashed thighs, seven broken ribs, fractures skull, broken tibia and fibula, pelvis fractured in three places. I was operated to put metal plates in, but I was still in a coma when they could take them out so I couldn't remember ever having them in. Michael somehow got away with cuts and bruises and a broken arm and concussion. They say it was because he was in the back car on the side that didn't hit the central reservation – I was in the same car but hit the concrete barrier at 75mph.

'I am, you go to bed.' As he effectively became one of the managers of a secret service unit in England for Savant's, called Maui, he worked stupid shifts but meant he was up most of the night and half of the day too, or vice versa, so we could talk to each other.

'I just did!' I put my phone down to put on my Nike running shoes. Whilst I had only got them about four months previous, the soul was already worn down. I guess it was my fault; I always had an hour and a half to go for a run in the morning. Normally, I would leave at 3:45 and get back 5:15am, so I could have a shower before getting ready for school. Sucks to be, because of the crash it meant I would be in school until just before my 21st birthday. I already had enough point to graduate early in March of Senior year, meaning I won't be at school for my 21st. I don't know what I'd be doing. Slipping my phone into my armband designed for phones – a genius solution to whomever came up with them, I put my headphones in, turning up the volume before clipping Cotton's lead onto my belt loops on my running bottoms leaving the door wondering when I would be classed as normal, but my stomach dropped when I realised I would never be normal.

* * *

 _Bit of a slow start, but please continue to read as it does pick up a bit soon! If you're confused as to whats happening, this book is a prequel following the adopted Benedict, Ella, who is genetically their cousin. It follows Ella when meeting Sky, Phee and Crystal, and meeting her Soulfinder, which then is developed in Capturing Ella. This story alters the events of Finding Sky, Stealing Phoenix and Seeking Crystal and takes place before Misty Falls. :)_


	2. Chapter 2

**.**

 **Chapter 2**

At half five, I decided to make a U-turn and head back home after my run hit the fifteen kilometre mark. Here is the thing though; I hated exercise and would actively avoid it when it was thrusted upon me but I did it to clear my mind of the thoughts that almost had a passive grip on my mind. I don't know what it was but I practically lived in my own mind, finding myself ingrained in deep thoughts that made little cohesive sense. I struggled to keep with the present, but I think school kind of helped me with that. It provided a focus with subjects and it meant I could bury myself in work to shut up my thoughts. That's really why I liked school; not because of friends or even my brothers but because it gave me a chance to escape my otherwise inescapable thoughts. I was doomed when I graduated. Karla, my Mum, had proposed to me to try and find my Soulfinder when I left High School as surely a relationship with steady my otherwise fracturing mind but I frowned at her. How would finding the "perfect" person for the "perfect" relationship help my thoughts and my anxious and depressive mind? Would I not just ruin them, burden them even, with my thoughts? Did she not comprehend this?

Not only that, I'm not too sure Soulfinder's still exist. I mean, my parents are and even my biological parents were but apart from that, no one I know has found their Soulfinder. None of my eight brothers, none of my only biological brother – Michael's – younger brothers have. None of my cousins have and there was a fair few of them too. It just seemed improbable.

I put my key in the front door, unlocking the bolts telekinetically. Cotton ran in front of me, running to her water bowl as I trailed behind, locking the door again.

'Ella,' I heard Saul say behind me and I walked into the kitchen.

'Hello!' I exclaimed, jumping out of my skin.

'Good run? What time were you up this morning?' He asked me as I flicked on the kettle.

'Half three again, didn't get to bed until two. Anything interesting happening?' I asked him as the kettle came to a boil. I looked over Dad's shoulder onto the laptop screen where he was flicking through the Savant Net.

'Just some new applicants we need to approve and some transfers but your Mom and I will need to discuss them when she's up –'

'Transfers? You need to discuss? You can just tell me that you want to put me on the Grey net, you know.' I told him, getting out three mugs from the cabinet above the sink. Saul remained silent as I scooped the teaspoon of coffee from the jar and into the two mugs, and then four teaspoons of coca into my one before pouring the boiling water on top of them.

'I think it'll be best for you, Ella.' Saul said gently, pulling the chair for me to sit down.

'Vick mentioned you wanted to me after you moved him.' I confessed up to him.

'I asked him not to tell you before we talked to you about it,'

'Not my fault big brother is a snitch – why did you want to move me, anyway?' I asked, crossing my legs at the table. I knew the move was inevitable. The Savant net had two different settings on it for people who wanted to join. Most just went into the Net and was the goodies of the Savant world, and would pull together to help each other out. It meant that people higher up in the net, or request the information could see people on this list. The Grey Net was a bit tighter, and people had to be requested to be transferred. It meant you were hidden and even if people wanted the information you cannot be found. Normally only really powerful Savant's were moved in there or when their job could conflict with their Savant status. Vick was moved because of the work in the FBI. I was being moved because I had strong gifts and had the square root of fuck all control over them too. This meant I would end up freezing my tits off for no reason, or realise I was projecting to Australia in the middle of class. That's why they wanted me to move to the grey net – to protect myself if I ever got in trouble.

'You're starting to do more work with the FBI –'

'It is because I have fuck all control, isn't it?'

'I would use that language, Eleanor, but yes.' Saul said, 'But would you mind?'

'If you think it's for the best, I'll sign the paperwork,' I smiled shyly getting up again to finish the coffees. One for Yves, and one for Zed. Yves had a white coffee with one sugar, whilst Zed had it as black as my soul.

'You know, your parents would be so proud of you if they could see you here now,' Saul said gently and I froze. It was always those prominent little reminders, when we were alone in the morning, that made us both remember the crash I was in when I was little. My mum, biological mum and not Karla mum, was Saul's younger sister. When we pulled out the photo albums one morning, I looked identical to how my Mum did when she was fourteen (I have the chubbiest cheeks known to mankind,) and I guess Saul always saw that side of me when I woke up, had my hair tied up and no make up on.

'Would they?'

'Of course they would, Eleanor, and so are we.' Saul said and even though being called Eleanor, and not Ella, really pissed me off I smiled gratefully at him.

'Thanks,'

'Now go and wake your brothers up or you'll all be late for your first day back,' Saul said, carrying on typing on the laptop.

I carried two mugs of coffee up the stairs, telekinetically moving my hot chocolate behind them. On the first floor I stopped outside the third door on the hallway, knocking gently before opening it.

'Coffee?'

'As always,' I said to Yves, who was still curled up in bed. He yawed as I put down the coffee on his bedside cabinet, glaring at him for a second as he continued to lay down.

'Evie get our ass up,' I said rudely to him and he just chucked.

'Call me Evie again and I will punch you Yasmina-Ellie.'

'Oh, shut up,' I said, rolling my eyes. At birth my name was meant to be Yasmina-Eleanor, and it was until the age of four. When in preschool in England I decided I just wanted to be Ella, and my parents and brothers and sisters supported this notion so I was known as Ella. After the car crash, we had to change my name to hide me in America, and had to chance Michael's name (which was from Mike – he wasn't creative) so we wouldn't be found. So Yasmina was completely wiped from my birth certificate, and my last name was changed to Benedict. So it was Ella Mia Benedict, which was alright. However, as the Benedict's had gone from T-Z with their names, so when I had to pretend to be Yves' twin, my name beginning with E wouldn't cut it. So I said I shorterned down my name, true, and it was Yasmina-Eleanor, also true. So we got around the whole name thing that way. I hated it, but my brothers would taunt me about it relentlessly. Even worse was when they extended Ella to Eleanor or Ellie. I could deal with El, not Ellie.

'How cold is it out?' Yves asked, sitting up in bed.

'I'd say ditch the cardigans, still, but we could still ride the bikes in, it's not too bad.'

'Gotcha, thanks.' He said as I walked out the door, closing it. I grabbed my hot chocolate and Zed's coffee from the floor where I left them and carried them up the next flight of stairs to the top level of the house. It was only half, as the roof cut off slightly, but it meant my bedroom was to one side and even had an en-suite, whilst Zed's door was opposite mine with another bathroom to the right, and then a spare room, which used to belong to Uri but was converted into a study and a linen cupboard.

I knocked gently on Zed's door, opening it but he was still on the bed snoring softly.

'Come on Zed, wakey wakey.' I said, putting down his coffee on the shelf next to his bed, slamming it slightly as he jumped awake. I walked across the room slowly, climbing over his stack of textbooks that has been there all summer to sit on his window seat, looking across the south end of the slopes. Zed rolled over, looked at the clock and moaned, rolling back over. 'No, don't go back to sleep wake up,'

'I can't do another year of this bullshit, Ella.' He mumbled.

'Two years,' I said and he only groaned a bit more. 'It'll be alright – we can do it.' I affirmed to him.

'H+ow can we Ella? We barely made it through Sophomore.'

'But we did.'

'After we were both expelled for trying to get a paedo out of school. That was the end of the line, how can we go back. Our gifts are just fucking us around, aren't they. How can we survive another two years of that crap with our gifts fucking us over.' Zed argued sitting up in bed running his hands through his unkempt hair. 'Sorry, it's not even your fault.'

'Calm the heck down.' Was all I said. 'One day at a time. It's only inductions today, sorting out timetables, picking more electives. If you want me too I don't mind doing the same lessons as you if you need me there, I'd rather you be safe and okay than me doing a course for a few months.'

'You can't do that for me Ella,' Zed said gently, taking a sip of his coffee.

'I can if you want me too,'

'I'll be good – I'll pull it together this year.' Zed said, kicking around a shirt on his floor.

'If you don't, the same rules as last year apply. Tell me, and I'll come and find you.' I said, and he nodded. It was a simple system and even the teachers had started to cop in on it. If Zed foresaw something he tried to stop it, but only ended up doing something that made it worse, or if people just picked on Zed because of family reputation, the same way they pick on me and he wanted to leave the lesson he was free to do so – only if he calls me, texts me or tells me telepathically so I can come and find him and calm him down. It wasn't his fault his anger was explosive and caused stupid responses. I was the complete opposite; I go into withdrawal, hide it then find somewhere quiet to cry.

'Your attendance –'

'I don't give a shit, alright? I don't care if I get a stupid diploma or not because I have already got GCSE's and A-levels from my online courses I've been doing. I can still go to college or university if I wanted too. I have back up plans from the FBI and Maui, I don't give a shit anymore. I'm just sticking through it to appear normal. You don't have GCSE's and A-levels, and I bet my ass you don't even know what GCSE stands for. You need me you call me, got it?' I lectured my younger brother, turning to look out the window.

'Yeah. Thanks El,' He said softly, hugging me to his chest. 'You smell, get a shower,'

'Hypocrite,' I joked, getting up and walking into my room, straight over the bed and into my small ensuite, flicking the shower on as I jumped up on the small vanity unit as I frowned. I never understood where my brothers, well my family really, got their reputation. I mean, apart from being alright looking and getting in with all the popular people gave them that edge. But people are school are scared of them – why? Especially Zed. I know him as the softest guy ever who admittedly has anger issues. He's not dangerous or aggressive. He's only got into three fist fights and normally it's over me and when someone says something stupid about me. It's not his fault.

It's none of my brother's faults.

We can't help our gifts. They are meant to aid us and give us a genetic advantage but currently it hinders us – it makes us harder to be human and survive. Not only that there was the pressure to remain hidden. It's tricky when we can see what's about to happen before it happens, or make things catch fire, or suddenly drop five degrees because you're daydreaming. How can we be human when we're so... unhuman?

I jumped in the shower, washing the slight sweat in my hair, conditioning the otherwise dead split ends. If I could make it through today, I could make it through the week. The week would lead to a month and soon I'd only have to hang around in education until mid March in Senior year before I could leave. What i'd do after that is anyone's guess but I wanted to go back down to Cornwall with someone. I couldn't take friends over, as I'd stay with Michael and with Michael's new manager roll within Maui it might be hard to get him off work. I could probably invite one of his other friends. I knew Jake, who I've known since I started when I was twelve or something ridiculous. Every night or so we would constantly message each other about the most randomest of crap. I knew all about his family; his older brothers and sister and his younger brother who isn't quite with it and in control of his gifts (Jake's words seemed harsh to him but I could strangely relate to the younger brother guy) but he was also a manager, so I could try and convince one of them. I knew Jake's older sister Carly quite well, so I could try and butter her up into a surfing trip to Cornwall if I couldn't find someone by then. It was still quite some time away and I hope someone crops up into my life before them so I can go Cornwall and just have a surfing holiday away.

Nothing would happen; no one night stands or drunk nights out. I'm fairly confident I'm not like that.

I got out the shower, doing the limited make up I wear mainly just to cover the freckles I got over summer, quickly towel drying my hair before grabbing some super skinny jeans, wiggling them on and a baggy shirt, and without another look I grabbed my black spotty backpack and walked out my bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The only thought I had when waiting outside my new IT class was "What the actual fuck has happened to natural selection". I sat on one of the study desks outside the ICT suites, watching as familiar faces started to queue up outside ready for their first lesson. You see, I only took IT because, not tooting my own horn here, but I'm good at it. I suppose it's because I've worked for two Government agencies since my twelfth birthday. Maui took me ad Michael on when we were twelve and fourteen respectively on a one off case as "assistance" but we ended up doing the work alone and convicting a mass murderer seconds before their next target hit the razor blade – literally. It just happened the next victim was our big bosses brother and now the big boss, Susan, had a massive soft spot for both me and Michael, and every time I go back to England I do one or two cases under their lead. The FBI also took me on in the Savant unit as my gift was handy – not the ice making one. That would be handy in sculpture work for weddings or maybe in an ice cream parlour. I'm on about projecting out of my body anywhere I want to go. I just need a stimuli – an idea of were I'd like to go and bam, I'm there. So if they give me a body or a person I can find them in seconds and hunt their asses down. Of course, I had to be technologically up to date and be able to hack into high profile websites, which meant my encoding of websites and programmes was top of the class, and I was getting rather quick at it too. So when IT popped us an elective, I was there for that shit.

Now, I wasn't.

It was safe to say I was the only girl in the class – not overly an issue because I get on well with people despite their genitalia, but it's more of the fact that the class was with 20 men, all of which are arse nuggets. I recognised six or seven as some of Zed's moron friends who, when they come over to pick him up will take every opportunity to chat me up, but in school are twats to me simply because I was female and they were so misogynistic they may as well be taking a journey of self discovery up their own behinds. Not only that, I didn't realise who the teacher was also a misogynistic prick and was inviting me to take other subjects more suitable for female pupils, such as home cooking or textiles.

'Come on boys, in we go then. Sit where you want.' Mr Riddex said, surveying the class list and the "lads" in front of him, and I saw him grin when his eyes scanned the word "Benedict", and then do a double take when he saw "Ella" in front of it, and not "Zed".

'Sup,' I said, walking into the class enjoying the moment Mr Riddex followed me with his glare, realising a – God Forbid – woman enter his class. Not only that, all other twenty students stared at me in horror as I walked over to the far side of the classroom, down the computer aisle and sat in the corner seat, away from everyone. This could be a long term.

'Miss Benedict, have they got you and your brothers timetable mixed up?'

'Not that I'm aware, sir, no. If you're slightly confused, I did pick this class and not my brother, so I don't think a timetable muddle up with be possible,' I replied back, logging on my computer and pulling out the syllabus I printed out earlier, ready to finish it all within three weeks so I can slack off the lesson for the two months after like I normally do.

'This isn't a very feminine subject,'

'I wasn't aware my ovaries stopped computer usage,' I mumbled under my breath, shrugging a shoulder.

'Ella, mate, what he's saying is fuck off and go cook us some food,' Cookie shouted from the other side of the room and I immediately rolled my eyes as the rest of the class cheered him on. One of Zed's friends, I thought loosely. I knew Zed absolutely despised him and wanted him to fuck off. I just found it amusing he asked me out of a date not even three weeks ago, and whilst I had to swallow my own vomit, I said I'd think on it.

'You know, Phillip –'

'It's cookie,'

'Fuck off, right, it's Phillip. I'm going to have to reject that date you offered rather creepily may I add to a date. It appears you're a bit too much up your asshole to ever surface in time,' I said, pulling a face when opening up a word document to start answering some of the syllabus which I already knew as the class howelled.

'Ella, I would like you to leave,'

'That's interesting,' I commented, touching my wrist gently to feel my skin cold and clammy. I'd estimate around 35 degrees, normally my temperature plummets to 35 then starts to trickle down and I was only in a thin shirt so I knew I needed to get out of class to go and grab my thick jumper that we had started to leave in my locker.

'What do you mean, Ella?'

'You let others get away with misogynistic quote the second I started to talk about; I am the one that is in the wrong. But I'll leave, I don't care,' I said, putting everything quickly into my rucksack, doing up the zip before signing off the computer. I didn't want to turn into the library already in the fear they think I was struggling to cope already. I had a meeting tomorrow with the schools executive, including the doctors and psychiatrists I've had since the crash to deem what action needs to be taken to make sure my mental state improve. The library clocks me in and out and it's brought up in meetings to see how often I walk out. So – no library escape for me. I looked at the clock on the wall. The school day was to end in 45 minutes so I could just go home and nothing would happen too much.

'Get out,' Mr. Riddex said at me.

'Already on it, excuse me, toodilypips,' I said, walking straight out .

Pissed off with half of the school already, I put my headphones in playing whatever song it was left o from this morning's run and walked through the winding mazes of corridors to bugger off.I could feel the stares of others in their classrooms watching me on the first day of school leaving class early in what looked like me walking out. I got it – they thought I walked out in anger as oppose to being invited out the teacher. I could even feel the teacher, Mr. Riddex, staring at me walk away from his class down the corridor. Perhaps he was yelling after me but my headphone musical drained out that hope as I pushed through the doors so pissed off with everything.

At this point, I just wanted to drop out of school because nothing would happen within the next two years that would have a substantial effect on our lives – so what's the point?


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

'I'm home,' I called into the what should be dead house.

'You're not meant to be home, though' Xav called back, running down the stairs to come and see me as I kicked off my shoes and ripped my leather jacket off, putting it on the cloak rack. 'And where are the bro's?'

'Still at school. I left.'

'You dropped out, or walked out, or got expelled. Please don't say you got expelled on the first day because I have bets with Will saying Zed's going to get that card - not you.' Xav said, following me into the lounge where I just collapsed on the sofa, burying my head in my hands, trying not to cry. This was pathetic behaviour on my half but I was so looking forward to going back to school and having IT as my doss around subject so I can bunk the lessons but I didn't expect this crap. I understand its because of the families reputation but it was unfair. It was bullshit that this actually had to happen. It was stupid that even in the 21st century there was this level of sexism and misogyny because I wanted to do a technology based around... well... technology and not sow or cook chicken three times a week.

'I didn't get expelled. I walked out.' I said through my hands as Xav sat beside me, hand on my knee but not pushing it further than there.

'What happened?'

'Zed's stupid arse friends being utter twats.' I kicked the metal bin that was full of paper on the floor, its contents spilling over the floor but I felt good about it. Xav just raised his eyebrow at me as I slunk further into the chair; realising my anger was stupid and I couldn't do anything about it now I was home. I would just ask to move class, or do the work in the library during those periods and would never be see in that class again.

'That Phillip guy?'

'That's the one,' I said and Xav nodded.

'At least it's reassuring to know Zed hates him as much as we do,' Xav said, leaning back with me and I nodded.

'But it doesn't help with the bollocking I'm going to get, though.' I said and Xav nodded, sitting beside me silently but it calmed me down.

'You'll be alright. They'll understand.' Xav said, sighing. 'Although, I just got back from driving through town and you know that empty house that you pass on our running route when you come out the woods the other side of town? The one that's had the painters in for ages?'

'Yeah?'

'Well, as I drove past the painters were leaving, taking down the "Sold" sign, so they're moving in today. Probably now.'

'Well, you've just solved my issue of what to do before school breaks up.' I said to Xav and he just gestured, sitting forward.

'Cottons on your bed asleep, and you better clear up your mess before Mom comes home or you'll get toe tagged and buried six feet under.' Xav joked, jumping up again before taking my lower arm to pull me up. I jumped up, hugging him as he held his hands up slightly, confused as to the random burst of affection. I was just thankful.

'Xav,'

'Don't you dare get sentimental – we're not drunk. You turn weird when you're drunk –' Xav started and I laughed.

'No, but thank you. I know it hasn't been fair on you since found me... you know,' Xav nodded, putting his head against the top of mine. He knows what I was on about. When I was fourteen, I tried to kill myself by overdosing on painkillers. It would have worked if Xav's medical senses didn't wake him up and he came to check on me. He then did something to my brain to make me constantly throw up until all the medicine cleaned my system – so I was chucking up for about a week solidly. Xav had seen me when I was nearly dead, and he's had that strain against him. 'It hasn't been fair on you, I'm sorry,'

'Ella cupcake, it's in the past. You're better now, aren't you,'

'I guess,'

'Okay, and you'll tell us if you get bad again?'

'Yes,'

'Then it's in the past. You would have been there for me, I was there for you. In return, though, I claim Godparent to your first born,' Xav joked and I pulled away rolling my eyes.

'Stop.' I laughed, 'I'll take Cotton for a run then, check out that new house.'

'I'm not joking – first child!' Xav called as he turned on the TV, clearly enjoying doing the square root of fuck all.

'Never going to happen,' I called back, finding my freshly ironed running clothes that I used during the day – a pair of close black shorts that finished just short of my bum, a baggy grey thin running shirt with perforated material at the back. I quickly stripped off my clothes in the middle of the hallway, putting on a bit of deodorant as I tugged the shirt over my head wiggling into the shorts. I sighed as I noticed how baggy the shirts were on me. I was always to – meh – to eat, which meant my weight was always fluctuating. The sign my shorts were a bit too big on me was a not a good one, but rather a warning I had to make more of an effort to eat or I'd end up going back to the psychiatric ward for another batch of tests – not something I wanted to do.

'Fluffy,' I called, as Cotton ran straight up to me, sitting next to me. I quickly put her lead on, attaching it to my short's belt loop. 'Good girl,'

'We'll be off, Xav,' I called.

'Good, see you later. I won't tell Mom or Dad you bunked,' He joked as I left the door, the sheepdog at my side as I went to go stalk the new people in the town.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

I reached the top of the massive hill on the other side of the town, sitting down on the dry mud hill fiddling with the worn out laces of my Nike shoes. From my vantage point I could see every car entering and leaving this street, but sure enough the house was evacuated from any cleaners and painters that had been occupied since the beginning of August. It was rough, this house. Of course, this town was in the middle of nowhere so hardly anyone notices us. It's a massive ski town, but remembers they all go into hotels and not buy a house for the two week holiday they're here. So this house just remained empty – until it was sold a few weeks ago. Of course, we were shocked. Everyone in this town were here because the generations before them came for the Gold Rush a bit higher up in the mountains. I think my family were the only ones here for a odd reason – and that was the FBI witness protection scheme, so we all grew up in an isolated town where everyone knew us, but outside the town we were no ones. Ideal when people want to kill you because you're good. So of course, this was big news.

Not only that, we got the news there a kid in the new house who would be joining Junior year with Zed and I, and would be starting school tomorrow. The buzz was real.

Hugging the dog to my side, I watched as a rusty Ford pulled up into the driveway, hearing the slightly dodgy gears enter neutral and the hand break applied as the engine closed down. A man, early forties I would say, got out the drives side slamming the door before gesturing to the door. I raised my eyebrow slightly, confused to who he was talking too but I saw a middle aged woman ,early forties again got out the passenger side of the car, looking at the tatty house which still needed exterior decoration. I sucked my lips in confusion as the two adults went to the front of the car – where was the girl who was sixteen?

All my questions were answered when I saw a small blonde girl get out of the passenger side of the car, wearing a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, a thick jumper with her blonde hair tied behind her in a braid. She seemed hesitant in the way she stood, but edged over to her parents none the less before they all went into the house.

'Interesting,' I said to the dog that looked at me slightly, panting. I poked Cotton's tongue slightly to get her to put it away, 'Guess that's the new family then.' I went to continue speaking but realised I was speaking to a dog, an animal who didn't understand human language but rather could identify the tone of voice.

I looked across the valley, completely hidden from view from everyone else but I could see across town and even the room of the school auditorium where I should still be at the moment. I felt a pang of guilt for not even making it through the first day, like I told Zed earlier that we could. I had lied straight up to my brother – what type of person does that make me.

'Come on then, let's go.' I said to Cotton and she immediately got up and started running down the steep woodland hill, causing me to run after her, skidding down the mud piles and stones to keep up with the excitable dog. Thankfully, I didn't manage to fall over but cut my leg on one of the branches that I must have caught on the way down.

We came out on the street the house was on. One of the smaller streets within the town set at the opposite end to all the ski action, it only had eight houses on and a small children's park at the end of the cul-de-sac. The new families house was at the top of end of the road on the left, where the path came out near. Unforchuately for them, their neighbour across the road was Mrs. Hoffman. How to put this sensitively; the was the town nutter. Not in a bad or even an offensive way, she would be the one to stop you and have in depth conversations about your family when you was desperate for a wee mid run, before inviting you in to have coffee and biscuits and then you'd be stuck for the next eighty four years, have set up a college fund for her, adopted seven wild sharks and now know all the elements in the periodic table – and that was one wild Sunday afternoon for me. Her intentions were good, though, and she was probably just lonely. And from the sight of it, it appears Hoffman had already invited herself into the new families house, as I just caught the last sight of her silk green shiny shirt make the way through the front door.

At the sight of anyone who could give affection, Cotton ran straight over to the new household, cutting across the garden and sitting on the front door step, wagging her tail affectionately with her ears down. Thank God I taught her never to enter a house unless we "invited her in".

'Shit, Cotton,' I whispered under my breath, running down the path and the walkway into the house. Not exactly the way I wanted to meet his new family and I just hoped they would turn out to be nothing to our family – I couldn't deal with it if they were suddenly besties with my parents and this would be some kind of relic to whip out at dinner parties.

'Mrs Hoffman, you're not already attacking the new family – are you?' I said, standing in the doorway looking at the larger older woman. The grey of her hair, the dark of her skin and the absolutely atrocious skirt that no one would even use for curtains didn't exactly match. Hesitating slightly, wondering if I should have said anything or not I tightened my pony tail with one hand before pulling down my shirt slightly. The new family stood huddled together in the hallway looking entirely confused at what was happening. The two older members of the family were enjoined together, arms around each other's waist. I would have immediately tagged them as happily married. The bloke had paint splodges down his jeans, and what looked like acrylic smudges as well. Having done art for a few years, most of my night leggings were covered in marks like that. The woman though had dressed up for flying, wearing some kind of cotton suit, the blazer now hanging on the banister.

The house, though, had had a hell of a work out inside. The walls were painted a lovely cream colour, and whilst there was bare furnishings it looked lovely and open and for their sake I hoped they didn't paint the walls mustard yellow. I frowned slightly as I noticed the girl looking towards me but something striked me as odd about her. She was in still the jumper and Levi's – 501, if I was correct, but the way she held herself showed me she was shy. She made eye contact but the second I looked her way she just looked down at the dog, causing Cotton to get even more excited at the idea of getting a fuss. But it wasn't her, or her shyness, that got me. My projection gift came with a nasty error, which meant not only could my gift mean I could project anywhere, but I could also project onto someone else's Savant gift meaning that I would want to take their gift. I tried to avoid it but my brain does it without me noticing. And my brain was trying to get some leeway with her brain, hooking around for something to grab onto but there was nothing there. Which meant she was probably a Savant but didn't know about it. Interesting – would have to ask Dad about that later.

'Oh, Eleanor, I'm not attacking them.' Mrs Hoffman said, putting down the lasagne dish on the side wooden cabinet by the stairs. I just raised an eyebrow at her. Oh really. She wasn't pouncing at them the second their car pulled out. I get it; we were both watching out their arrival but I was just being nosy, she just wanted another friend to attack. Almost like another ball of wall in the basket for her kittens. 'You're daughter doesn't look much like either of you, does she?' Mrs Hoffman said almost ignoring my appearance.

Whilst the comment she had just said was incredibly rude and unthoughtful I had thought the same myself – if we take the two adults as parental figures none of the genetic alleles would line up, and would have less than 5% bone structural identical DNA – basically, none of their genetics match up which is clearly visible; hair was different colours – both the parents were brown but greying with age with dark brown eyes whilst the daughter had blue eyes and blonde hair. I'd say adopted. I tutted at the elderly woman, though, annoyed for voicing such intrusive thoughts.

'Did you know your car is leaking oil? You'll want to get that fixed. Kingsley at the garage will see to it for you if you say I recommended him. He'll give you a fair price, but mind he doesn't change you for a valet service – that should be complimentary,' she spieled.

'That's very kind of you, Mrs Hoffman,' the parent figure said in her British accent. Ooh, British. I thought to myself. Even better. Don't have to go home and ask Dad about my suspicions of the girl being a Savant – I could just call up Michael to have a look on the records for me for any sign she could be. As Mrs. Hoffman continued to ramble on to the new British family I let my mind get carried away with my plans. If I text Michael, it's seven hours ahead of time so that would be about nine at night. He might not be at base, then, or he might be driving home but I'm sure he'd have his work llaptop which would have the basic folder in so at least I can see if she is a Savant on record but doesn't know it or if she even is a Savant. Sometimes, I get the same indication aroud someone who believes in superpowers or believes they can see the future so it could jsut be that but it would be worth a look.

'Enrolled as an eleventh grader at high school?' Mrs Hoffman asked looking at the girl and over at me and I wondered who she had directed the question too because I was not listening to her.

'Er... yes... Mrs Hoffman...' The girl who must have been sixteen, like Zed, muttered shyly. Yeah, I got the shy part right at least then.

'Semester started today, but I'm sure you know that. My Grandson is in Junior year too – I'll tell him to look after you.' Mrs Hoffman said, looking at me. 'And of course Eleanor over here is a Senior. Why are you out of school, dear, is it your brothers again? Your brothers should not be defining your level's of education.' Mrs Hoffman started lecturing again as I rubbed my forehead.

'It's just Ella, I'm a junior not a senior, and no it wasn't my brothers. I just wasn't feeling too well so I got sent home early,' I explained sweetly to her, sheparding her out of the building.

'Oh yes, it is just Ella isn't it. You like to shorten your name down dramatically. Such a shame, I like your full name. Very sophisticated.' Mrs Hoffman told me. 'Now you get some rest, and i'll be over when you've settled in,' She said to the family as I coaxed her out of the house.

'See you tomorrow,' I said gently, mainly towards the girl who would be in my year and potentially some classes of mine too as I closed the door on the conversation.

'Why do you feel ill?'

'I just had a headache, ma'am, that's all. Father suggested a run with the dog to see if the fresh air had any affect.' I lied fluently to her, knowing if I said I bunked I would get a Hell of a lecture. All my good lessons started tomorrow, including the ones where I would be with her Grandson, Nelson. He was a wonderful lad and a very good friend of mine. Very jokey but relaxing, and it was nice to be around him as he treated me and my brothers as individual units rather than a massive content spilled across ten years. What I'm saying is he treats us like our own person rather than a large family dripped over the time period from Trace's birth to Zed's birth.

'And has it?'

'Yes, I would say so,' I replied, hesitating at the edge of her pathway. I knew she wouldn't invite me in, not with the dog with me, so I was fine.

'How are your brothers, that wonderful twin of yours?'

'Yves is good, doing well, into his final year of High School before a college placement no doubt,' I said, nodding slightly.

'That'll be you next year. It's a shame for that crash, you know, must be hard for your parents having the twins graduate in different years,' Mrs Hoffman said and I awkwardly shrugged. Oh, the towns know it all was so in the dark with this topic.

'I guess, but I don't really want to go college straight out of school. I want to travel for a bit, go spend some time with the extended family. Go to England, Australia, Italy and Spain. I've been looking at university courses in England, and they have much better courses than they do in America,' I nodded but I ask you to read this instead; I don't want to stay in this bullshit education system so I'm going to say I'll travel because that's what people expect you to say. Not only that, I only want to go to England to put my gifts to good use within Maui, where the big boss has already offered me a full time job once I graduate. Following the point too, I already have enough UCAS points, the university grading system, to get into all the universities around Michael's, including Reading university, Winchester, Westminster, Conventy, Royal Holloway, West London, Saint Mary's you name it so I would probably want to go there to further my education.

'I'm glad you have life plans, Ella, you get home and get better now,' the elderly woman said, waddling back down her pathway.

'See you around,' I called back, starting to jog back up the road with Cotton following me by my side without a lead as I milled on the insane conversation that they had in the house. What the bloody hell was going on?


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The next day came around swiftly, but I still had no idea why my brain felt the way it did when I saw the new family in town. Later that day I called Michael, asking if he could find the new family on his more up to date Savant Net and sure enough he could find nothing. Probably because he needed a name and surname combination to even find anything but I couldn't find out even that information. I guessed I'd just have to wait to find out some more information, and hope that would answer my questions.

Completely bunking tutor, like I did for the majority of last year, I rocked up to psychology – my first lesson of the day – about five minutes early.

'Ella, good to see you're back,' Miss Keane said to me at the door, 'You're early. You missed tutor, didn't you?' She said, allowing me into the classroom, gesturing to a table at the front.

'Er, yeah.' I fessed up, sitting down with my back facing the whiteboard on a table of four. I put my polka dotted backpack on the floor and pulled out my pencil case.

'Ella,'

'I didn't mean too, I was just running late,' I explained.

'How are you doing, though, are you still finding it hard to adjust?' Miss Keane asked me, sitting down next to me on the table. I liked Miss Keane, and found her easy to talk too and she was fully updated on my whole mental health situation. I still had to attend meetings with the school every six weeks to discuss how I was feeling and find solutions to any issues I had. This included me doing some lessons in the library or at home by myself and I wasn't penalised for low attendance either.

'Er, yeah, I've been okay,'

'Have you been sleeping properly?'

I shook my head, flicking through the textbook that was on the table. 'No – it's okay though. I've kind of adapted to one sleep cycle.'

'That's not heathly for your brain or body,'

'Nothing else works though, meditation or medicines we've gone through the whole list. I spent a week in a sleep lab in Texas to figure out the cause but all they could say was trauma,' I said, shrugging and she nodded. She knew the naive version of the story – that I was in the car with my uncle and aunt on the way to go to the zoo when I was four and the car crashed, killing my uncle and aunt off. The reason Yves wasn't in the car was because he fell ill and couldn't go. That was what everyone thought, at least. That was what everyone apart from family were referring to at the crash. Family when referring to the crash was on about the darker version of the tale – the real one.

'You have gone through a lot, Ella, and it's the way your brain perceives traumatic events. You'll be able to comprehend it fully soon and your brain will sort it out,' Miss Keane told me, gently touching my shoulder as she walked past to let all the other students in.

'Ella!'

I looked up, frowning slightly as the class came in, and sure enough Zoe and Tina both entered the room, dumping their bags on the floor as they sat around the table with me. The fourth chair remained empty as other students clumped together. Of course they wouldn't want me in their group.

'I haven't seen you in ages!' Tina said, sitting opposite me, flashing me her newly painted nails. I raised my eyebrow as the Union Jack was displayed on the long, completely real nails and almost felt disappointed. My nails hadn't even reached the tip of my finger – I keep them short but not by choice. I find myself nibbling away, which then caused them to crack and peel a bit off.

'You've never been to England, what are those doing on your fingers?' I asked her laughing slightly.

'I've always wanted to go – you could totally take me over there next time you see your cousins. That Michael cousin of yours – delicious!' She said, pulling out her pad of paper as my stomach felt heavy. As part of the lie, we had to say Michael was my cousin, much like he is to Zed or Trace or whatever, but it still felt so incredibly wrong.

'Maybe,' I said gently.

'Okay, ladies and gentleman welcome back to psychology. I'm glad many of you have decided to further your electives this year, but we also have some new faces. So, I did set some holiday homework for you to complete, and as a sort of test I will find out who actually did the work,'

The whole class groaned as I remained silent. I was very confident with my psychology as I memorised the entire unit, around 150 A4 pages, double sized, worth of text in the textbook I ordered off Amazon. I suppose you could say psychology was my favourite subject, and I would agree entirely.

'None of that. In the middle of your table is an A3 sheet, and some coloured pens. Make me a mind map of all the different subsections of aggression, sleep rhythms and eating disorders on three different sheets and the case studies to go along with them,' Miss Keen said, sitting down. 'You have forty five minutes, off you go,'

'I didn't do the holiday work, I forgot,' Zoe said, flicking her hair over her shoulder.

'I didn't either, I couldn't find the book and someone didn't reply to their texts.'

'I get no signal in my house, we've been over this. You better be lucky I did it all then. Pass the sheets,' I said, not really annoyed I get to do all the work again. Running my finger across my new pack of 24 coloured PaperMate pens, my favourite type of pens from England (I stocked up when I was over there, you get weird looks when you have over 300 pens in your hand luggage let me tell you that for free,) wondering where to start.

I know.

Sleeping and biological rhythms was an alright unit and helped me to understand why I suffer from a sleep disorder myself; and the unit is broken up even further. The circadian cycle is a 24 hour cycle, such as the sleep wake cycle. Normally, the body wants sleepy time at 11, and wakes up at 7 however there is a lot of individual differences down to this. There is such a thing as a morning person and an afternoon person, depends on how late they like to go to bed and how late they wake up. Ultradian is less than 24 hours, whilst Infradian is more than 24 hours but less than a month, such as menstruation and seasonal effective disorders. It goes on to explain jet lag and shift work and how they through you out of sync so your melatonin production, the hormone created in darkness, is thrown out of whack. Furthermore, it goes on to talk about somnambulism, narcolepsy and insomnia, and the genetics involved, but the individual differences. Sure enough, two of the biggest triggers of adolescent insomnia is childhood trauma and childhood continuous nightmares. Basically – I was screwed!

Aggression is my favourite unit out of them all I would say; and consisted of smaller units as well. Biological aggression, which is the genetic sides and how there might be an aggressive gene passed on which is dominant and would rule other calmer traits, but would need some sort of catalyst. Hormonal aggression combined with neorotransmitters meant testosterone and serotonin played a part so violence is more seen within males or those who have grown up with an all male family, or with few females – so I was again screwed.

A sharp kick happened under the table, onto my calf. I flinched back slightly, pulling out one of my headphones, turning down the volume with my other hand after I dropped my purple pen.

'Why'd you do that?' I hissed at Zoe, annoyed she jogged my purple writing. God, I was just getting in the flow of it. I jumped slightly as I noticed the fourth chair around the table, the one to my left, had been filled with the new girl.

'Ella, this is Sky. She's from England. That's why I have my nailed painted this way,' Tina said patronisingly at me.

'You still haven't been though. Sky, I believe we met yesterday,' I tried to say politely but I sounded like a stuck up bitch. God, I hated myself sometimes. I had inhibited the way my brothers talk when they're fed up – incredibly patronising and fake. Sky shifted awkwardly in the chair.

'Er, I think so – you had a dog then.' She whispered.

'Yeah, they don't let me bring her into school,' I said and she laughed slightly. Maybe I redeemed myself. 'Well, it's nice to meet your properly.' I added, putting my headphones back in, carrying on writing but internally cringing.

Oh God. I fucked that up really nicely. I honestly hoped nothing would come out of this and she would just be another friend. Nothing else. Probably someone I wouldn't remain in touch without outside of school, especially after we graduated.

The end of the lesson dragged slowly, and I was fully aware that Tina was talking to Sky about the entirety of school. I didn't understand Sky – I was British too and even though I was just under five when I moved over here, over thirteen years later I still didn't understand the whole High School system and just sat exams and hoped it would all work out. Five minutes before the bell rang to indicate the end of the period, there was a knock at the door. The assistant principle, in her tight body con maroon coloured dress thing looked around the door.

'Everything going okay, Miss?' She asked, straightening her black blazer jacket. I frowned at her, knowing from her body language she was nervous or timid. Someone she needed to impress was nearby, then.

'Perfect, thank you ma'am,' Miss Keen said softly and I knew what was happening. Slowly, I pulled my black and white polkadotted backpack onto my lap, opening the main compartment as I slid in my pencil case, my pens, pads of paper, notes and textbook in.

'Ella, your parents and brothers are here for your meeting,' The assistant principle said, standing straight. So, that translated as Mom and Dad had brought Vick along to the meetings to try and get me to admit I was mentally unstable. That's why she was scared, Vick was sitting in her office in his fancy grey suit he had an emotional bond with. I did the zip up as the class stared at me, the usual look of guilt lingering. Everyone knew I had these meetings because I was mentally unstable and volatile from the crash when I was little. They just think I was upset because I saw my Aunt and Uncle die and I suffered from survivor's guilt – they didn't know half it.

'Sky, it was nice meeting you. I'll see you around, yeah?' I said softly and she hesitated before nodding, and slowly I walked out the room, feeling the small decrease in my temperature as I put my hands in my pocket to hide the fact I was shaking.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

'Woah, someone call off this party,' I said sarcastically as I slunked through the door to the boardroom where the meetings were always held. The assistant principle had gone to collect the principle and other members of the Senior team in charge of all of these things, but had deposited me in the board room with my family. Mom and Dad sat on the far end of the table, and they were talking quietly as I walked in. There was a chair in the middle, clearly meant for me, and to the right three welcome faces next to one not-so-welcome. Victor, Uriel, Will and Xav all sat there. Victor gave me a slightly sideways look as I hesitated in the doorway. Uriel and Will smiled at me, and Xav put his feet onto the table and gave me a camp wave – like that video of a waving bear in a zoo. I grinned at them all, so glad that at least someone within these meetings would be on my side. Vick normally attends these meetings and it normally consists of him telling me I am more than capable of sitting in normal lessons – kinda true, some I could, with Saul and Karla arguing to allow me more rooms so I don't break again. Of course, the school knew about my attempted suicide, which happened soon after I joined this High school, and behold the monthly meetings became a thing to discuss my progress and what needs to change.

'I know, they're wild.' Will joke, flicking Xav's feet. 'Dude, new shoes – those stink.'

'Who say's they're my feet. Little sister over there had just walked in. Who knows – it could be her that stinks,' Xav joked, taking his feet down off the glass table. He leaned forward as he noticed he left a dirt mark on the otherwise pristine frosted glass.

'She's older than you, Xav, she's not so much of a little sister,' Uriel said softly.

'Not much older.'

'Mate, I'll still take it,' I said, throwing my back into the far corner of the room hearing the satisfying booft as it hit the concrete wall and then the floor. Victor rolled his eyes at my childhish behaviour as I sat down on my vacant seat, spinning around slightly.

'I thought you learnt how to behave, I thought you grew up over summer,' he said snappily.

'Ooh, someone's not happy I cut his beauty sleep, is he?' I joked, ruffling his hair as he slapped away my wrist but I saw the small smirk on his face. He pretends that he is steel, and above his level but it's not hard to see that he is human.

'You better not argue with me this meeting, Ella.' Victor patronised me, turning in his chair to me as I stuck my feet up on him, showing my new converse. 'You joke about my suit; do you ever not wear Converse?'

'Arguing is half the fun though, and I get to bunk lessons even more,' I said, shrugging. 'I wear Nike's when I go running, occasionally my Karrimor's, but no mainly Converse. We're lucky they're authentic as well, we know my soft spot for just canvases,' I told him as he pivoted around as my feet dropped to the floor.

'We know,' Vick said to me, pulling out a folder.

'At least it makes Christmas and birthday present shopping easier, though,' Will joked, looking around the boardroom.

'Ella, you're not using these meetings to bunk school, are you?' Saul said to me, touching my shoulder. Err.

'Even if she was, Dad, it wouldn't matter – these are compulsory until she's eighteen on records,' Uriel quipped for me and I nodded at him, clicking my fingers at him to show him my approval. Of course I used these to bunk lessons, but he covered it up. Sure enough, the school thinks as Yves' twin I'm seventeen, eighteen in July. They don't know is that I'm nineteen, edging on twenty in March. So eighteen on record meant until July these ones a month meetings were compulsory and I would have to attend. From there on, the meetings can be held when I wasn't present.

'Welcome, Mr and Mrs Benedict,' The Principle said as he walked into the room, his entourage following in close pursuit. You could see Mr Loft doing a clear triple take at the amount of brothers that had turned up for this occasion, and the slight fear. One way or another, our family had driven fear into the teachers. Mainly because we knew what we could get away with and played with those borders. Vick was particularly bad when he was seventeen and had to get the entire science and technology wing evacuated as he thought it was funny to let loose over 100 crickets within a science room. Not only that, he had frequent arguments with teachers, with students, a worse attendance history than me and so on. He had to have anger management classes. Xav was bad, but was more of a joker and kept everyone in neutral. Uriel was the smart and acedemical one, so he was only ever in this office to praise his target grade record. Will had been sent to the board room for parental meetings after he punched someone in the face during P.E. when they threatened to bully me and several other instances. Honestly the amount of times Karla and Saul had been in this office for our behaviour was gold medal worthy. 'And welcome to your sons, too. I thought we had seen the last of you, Xavier,'

Xav clutched a hand to his heart dramatically, holding a handful of his shirt as he pretended to be sad.

'My kind sir, I thought you missed me so dearly? Must your long days within this sanctuary be so unblessed with my chilled silence,' Xav joked.

 _The bloody hell is he on?_ I asked Will and Uriel at the same time telepathically, almost forming a group chat.

 _We woke him up early. I think he might still be asleep,_ Uriel commented, but sounded like he was laughing internally.

 _And attempting to recite poetry or Shakespeare, Uri?_ Will added, literally laughing out loud at Xav. Mom and Dad looked almost patronisingly at Xav as Vick actually shook his head.

'Er, we meant we miss you Xav, of course.' The assistant principle added for Mr Loft, and Xav leant forward and winked at her, grinning. Was that a blush I saw on her face? That was incredibly disgusting.

'Anyway, the focus at hand is Ella and of course how she is coping within school. This is just the beginning of the school year, of course, so we just set the baselines normally. However, in our clocking in fingerprint screener, it appears to show Ella departure the school ground yesterday during the middle of her ICT induction lesson. Eleanor, is this true?' Miss McGuinne said at me, but smile softly. The head of the library, she always welcomed me to sit in the corner to do my work. Of course she would, though, as she too was a Savant. She knew someone was up with our family, apart from the fact we were all Savant's too, but also the whole Yves twin thing was just bullshit. Bless her old heart, though, she never asked about it as she knew it would upset me.

'Yup,' I simply said.

'Why was that, Ella? You didn't tell us about this,'

'Mr Riddex, the asshole who I was timetabled too, was very misogynistic and unfair to me as I was the only female within the class and actually invited me to leave because I pointed out a fellow member of the class, Phillip Scoff, was rather sexist as well as he invited me to stop doing such a man subject and take up cooking instead,' I said matter of factly.

'What an asswipe,' Will muttered under his breath, causing Dad to look at him.

'Was you not comfy with this, Ella?' Mr Loft asked, knitting his fingers together and leaning towards me.

'How could I possibly be comfy with a teacher who pointed out ICT was not a "feminine" subject as it uses computers, laughs with sexist remarks made by fellow pupils, before inviting me to leave the class as I cleared up some facts with an asswipe, thanks for that word Will, love it, I don't think anyone could be comfy within that class,' I simply said.

'These misogynistic and sexist accusations, Ella, are very serious. You are aware of this,' Mr Loft said.

'Of course I am, sir, I am also very aware that I should be treated as an individual, not simply a unit of my own gender and sexuality, and I am also acutely aware teachers themselves should not hold grudges against anyone choosing their electives, because they know their family history or rather the F next to my name, compared to the rest who have the male M next to their names,' I retorted and Vick put his hand on my knee, stopping me from doing my famous leg twitch. Whenever nervous or scared, I would bounce my knee up and down at such a quick pace it wore out my muscles. The simple gesture away's got me to stop doing it, and realise I needed to calm myself down.

'It's too late to swap electives now, Ella,' Mr Loft said.

'I will allow her access to the library during these periods, and assist her myself if she needs any help,' the librarian said, her glasses bouncing on her full chest. Unable to have children herself, and the three children she adopted now flown the nest, she had adopted out family during school to try and help us knowing that the whole Savant aspect made it worse. She even pushed back her retirement until we finished school to continue to help us.

'Yes, I think that would be the best plan of action for this case,' Victor said, making a note of it for no reason.

 _Why you writing that down? It's not like I'll forget._ I asked Victor.

 _I got a new pen; I was excited to use it. Also, it helps for them to think we are making notes and not just remembering it all._ Victor said and I had to hide my grin.

'I personally believe that the same rules that Ella had with her brother Zed last year should apply this year too. Reinstating Zed, at the moment, appears to be a good choice however he is on his last warning for exclusion –'

'Sure, of course it's my brother's fault for telling you there is a paedophile within the math's department thus he should be punished,' I went to mutter under my breath but it came out a Hell of a lot louder.

'Ella,' Victor, Karla and Saul all said, but there was shock in Karla's voice, amazed I would say such a thing out loud at such volume, whilst Saul and Vick were just warning me to watch my words. They didn't mind if I argued because we always knew Zed was right – he was it with his gift so we knew how trustworthy he was. I had gone through Hell to get him reinstated which included taking after math lessons with the paedo teacher, waiting for him to start "hitting" on me as I changed the view of the CCTV telekinetically. Eventually, we found a sketch book full of drawings of younger girls.

'Miss Benedict, your brother should have told us in a more sophisticated manner.'

'No, my brother did. I was outside; he came up to the office, knocked on the door and sat down to tell you. You were the one who should have responded in a more sophisticated manner, if you don't mind me saying so, Sir. You should have taken my brothers words into account, filed a report and investigated it like you would do in another other situation if another pupil said the words to you. However, you didn't. You excluded my brother for false accusations without even any proof. You waited until he started hitting on me and I found the sketchbook of the six Freshman year girls drawn out to even act upon in. You put more people at risk, including myself and any other female pupil at this school, to try and get even with my family. When you reinstated Zed, you never apologised to either one of us and said if he acts that way again; he'll be suspended yet again. I fail to see how this is fair?'

'Ella, stop.' Mr Loft said.

'Make me stop pointing out the injustice of your actions, Sir.'

'You're raising your voice at the Principle, Ella, I have no quibbles suspending you as well.' Mr Loft said.

'No, Sir, I am not raising my voice. I believe I have kept my volume within plus or minus five decibles of my normal projection rate. But if you want to suspend me, go ahead. You know who was in the wrong with the whole paedophilia case, and you know it wasn't my brother, it was your fail to not do an enhanced background check.' I said matter of factly, crossing my legs. 'Vick, who would be in the wrong here?'

'It would be the school or the hiring committee for not doing the correct background checks and keeping them up to date for any undeclared criminal records. My brother has nothing to do with this if it ends up in court, apart from being the catalyst to bring this case to light,' Vick said and the second the word court was mentioned, everyone back down.

'We will issue a formal apology to your brother, Ella, and pass him on his final's in the summer semester that he missed during his suspend from school,' Mr Loft said slowly and I nodded.

'Thank you,' I said knowing that Zed passing him finals would mean a lot to him. He had worked so hard last year to focus on school, despite causing mayhem along the way.

'So, you can now go the library during any period you would like too, Ella, as long as you clock in there and clock out when you leave so you can mention. The same sibling rules apply as last year,' Mr Loft said, hitting the paperwork on the table,

'And I look forward to reading the formal apology within the post, and seeing Zed's passes on his next grade cards.' I said finally, standing up, my brothers copying my swift moves to grab my bag. The administration senior staff all walked out quietly murmuring among themselves. The second the door closed, Will hugged me, lifting me off the ground spinning me around as we both laughed, Uriel's hand on my back once we stopped spinning as Xav bumped fists with me.

'You bloody nailed that, girl,' Xav cheered, hugging me around my shoulders after Will put me down.

'Eleanor,' Karla said softly, clearing her throat. 'Whilst what you did was lovely for Zed and will mean something to him these meetings are meant to be about you and your mental health,'

'I've only been back in school for a day – there's nothing much to change apart from that idiot in IT which has been sorted.'

'Bless McGuinne, she's been lovely to us all.' Saul said, and we all nodded. She had been nothing but wonderful to any of us, always bringing fresh food to the house when she was alone. Her husband died ten years ago after a stroke, and nine years ago her eldest adopted kid moved out so she was lonely, really, so we all became her kids. She would randomly appear and talk to us about her memories of her travels, or her kids.

'You should get back to lessons now, Ella,' Victor said, putting his hand on my shoulder. 'We'll all still be around tonight, so we'll see you then. Make sure younger brothers get home safe and don't do anything stupid like _speeding_ again.'

'Ha, even I can't control Zed's anger.'

'You're better at it than us,' Uri said. I guess so.

'Get your ass out of the room so we can talk about you,' Xav quibbled, and I stuck my middle finger up to him and he made a heart out of his hands as Mom and Dad hugged me quickly, kissing my forehead before I left the boardroom and headed for my next lesson.

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 **Just for you, Sabinethafangirl, for always reviewing on my books and creating good writing yourself (and also asking so nicely)! Thank you! :)**


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